The Resistance
by It's The Fear
Summary: Claire Redfield thought her life was finally going on the right track. She had a house, a wonderful job, and a fiancé. And then he walked back into her life. With the rise of a deadly new virus, the past she thought she said goodbye to is back once again.
1. Apocalypse Please

Claire Redfield tucked her fiery red bangs behind her ears. Reaching in the pocket on her uniform, her tired eyes read that it was just after midnight.

_One more filet and I'm out of here,_ she reminded herself as she rubbed her eyes to try and keep herself awake.

The hospital had been surprisingly quiet for a Friday night, though she wasn't complaining. It meant that, for the first time in a long time, she would actually get off work on time. It was strange how the number of drunken injuries were nearly nonexistent, but she shrugged it off and dove back into her papers.

Claire kept her head down and wrote on her last patient's file. The teenaged girl had recovered quite well, which was a relief. For a while, Claire was scared that she wasn't going to be able to push through her injuries.

Claire shuddered when she thought about the state the girl had entered her hospital in. Her body was torn, beaten and broken from her collision with the cement road. It was accidents like that that made Claire rethink her love for motorcycles.

"Hey sis. Working hard, or hardly working?"

Claire looked up into the face of her older brother and shot him a sarcastic smile. "Bite me, Chris." She turned back to her paper work, the tip of her pen running across the white paper rapidly. Almost done.

"Tsk, is that any way to talk to a potential patient? Where's your boss, I want to make a complaint." Chris said, scanning the room for a doctor or senior nurse. An older nurse across the room glanced over to him, a confused look on her face.

Claire stood up and slapped him on the arm. "Shut up, Chris. You're going to get me in trouble again." Claire turned to the other nurse and shot her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry; it's just my crazy brother again."

The older nurse nodded and laughed, shaking her head as she exited the room. Claire crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Chris, her smile quickly fading. Chris chuckled at the serious vibe that suddenly came over his little sister's face.

"Your crazy brother was wondering if you were finished work yet. I thought maybe I'd drive you home."

Claire closed the file she had been working on and set it on top of a pile of brown folders. She continued to clean up her desk, her deep blue eyes darting back and forth between her mess and her brother.

"I should have known you didn't just come to say hi." Claire shook her head. "Always with your ulterior motives."

"I don't think it's an ulterior motive to make sure my little sister gets home okay. You know I'm not a fan of you getting off work so late, let alone going home by yourself."

"And just how did you know what time I was getting off work?" Claire asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A little birdie named Jill Valentine told me."

"Of course she did." Claire smiled as she walked out from behind the desk. "Let me just go grab my things and I'll meet you out here, okay?"

Claire walked into the break room and reached for her lock. At least she wouldn't have to wait in the cold for the bus. She was grateful that Chris had a tendency to pick her up from work when she worked late, but she would never tell him that.

"I swear Claire; good looks seriously run in your family."

Claire glanced back as she pulled her jacket out of her locker. She smiled at the older woman who had been in the other room with her and Chris.

"Your brother is _gorgeous._"

"You should tell him that, Anne. Although I think you may hurt his poor manhood if he hears you call him gorgeous." Claire couldn't help but laugh as she closed her locker, turning her lock back to zero. Why did women always gawk at her brother?

Anne let out a loud laugh and waved at Claire as she headed out of the break room. "You have a good night, darling. Enjoy your weekend off."

That's right; she had totally forgotten that she had the weekend off. It was her first weekend off in months, and, of course, she had no plans. She let out a sigh as she walked back to Chris, her hands dug deep into her jacket pocket. He pushed himself off his chair and walked beside her as they headed to his car in the parking lot.

"Something wrong, kiddo?" Chris asked as he climbed into the driver's seat of his car. Claire shook her head but remained silent as she closed the passenger door, reaching back for the seatbelt.

"I'm just tired, that's all."

Chris turned the key in the ignition and took off down the deserted road. "I can tell. These twelve hour shifts are killing you. Maybe you should ask for some time off?"

"Chris, I can't ask for time off already. I just started this job a few months ago. And now with all this H1N1 panic…there's no way I could get time off."

"Lloyd doesn't mind you working so much? Your schedules are almost completely opposite. Do you even see him that much anymore?"

Lloyd. Her fiancé.

Of course she hardly saw him anymore. He got up for work at six o'clock in the morning, and most of Claire's shifts ran from twelve in the afternoon to midnight, or vice versa. When Claire got up for work, Lloyd was already gone to work. And when she got home from work, he was fast asleep in their bed. And if she was starting her shift in the night, it was just as bad.

It was putting a serious strain on her relationship, but she was doing something that she absolutely loved, and there was no two ways around it. Once she built seniority at work she could ask for better hours or maybe a day or two off here and there. But until then, she had to grit her teeth and go along with whatever hours they handed her. Which, with her luck, were the hours that no senior nurse wanted to volunteer for.

"He understands that it's not my choice. We make time for each other, there's no need to worry about it." She assured him. She kept her eyes straight and focused on the row of streetlights that stood so tall above their car.

When they passed a street sign, she suddenly jumped up in her seat and turned to Chris. "Hey, you're not taking me home; my home is the other way. Chris, where the hell are we going?"

Chris pulled to a slow stop when the lights in front of them turned red. A few drunken teenagers stumbled to make it to the other side of the street, their laughter ringing out into the darkness of the night.

"Oh, I didn't tell you? Someone's in town and wanted to meet with the old gang again."

"Who?"

"Leon."

A sudden wave of nausea came over Claire. The car became so silent that she was scared Chris could hear her heart beating at a thousand miles an hour.

She and Leon hadn't parted on the best terms. They remained in touch over the years, in fact, if it weren't for him, she probably would have died on Rockfort Island. But the bitterness of how she was so quick to leave in Raccoon City was something that never quite settled between them.

Leon held it against her for too long. He said it was incredibly selfish and irresponsible for her to leave Sherry behind like that. But she believed that what she did was right. Her brother, her only flesh and blood, was out there somewhere, in danger from Umbrella, and she was going to stop at nothing to find him and bring him back alive and unharmed.

That action left Leon alone with Sherry, and the terrified little girl crying out for the comfort Claire had brought to her life for those few short hours. And though they had moved on, he had never truly forgiven her.

"Well, thanks for the heads up before throwing me into the fiery pits of hell, big brother."


	2. Guiding Light

**I'm very happy to see so many people dropping by to read this new story, but unfortunately not a lot of you are reviewing it. I would really appreciate it if you guys left a review just to let me know what you thought. Nonetheless, enjoy!**

"What about Lloyd? He was expecting me home after work."

Chris chuckled at his sister. She was just looking for any excuse to get out of tonight. "Consider him already dealt with. I called him on my way to pick you up. He said he'd see you whenever you got home."

"Great." Claire mumbled.

Chris shot the younger Redfield a quick look before turning back to the wheel. "I never quite understood what happened between you guys. I'm sure whatever it was, you guys can overcome it. I mean, considering you both managed to survive Raccoon City together. Isn't something like that supposed to bring people closer?"

Claire raised an eyebrow. "I don't know Chris…how close did it bring you to Jill Valentine?"

"Cute, Claire. Real cute."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Claire Redfield didn't like feeling uneasy. About anything. She could feel her heart nearly jump out of her throat as she stood in front of Leon's apartment door, waiting for him to answer the doorbell.

Maybe he'd forgotten about what she had done all those years ago. Maybe he'd forgiven her and would stop giving her those occasional cold looks he seemed to be so fond of. Then again, it was Leon Scott Kennedy, so probably not.

There should be no mistake; Leon was one hell of a guy. And he had always been there for Claire, no matter what the situation, without asking a single question. It was like having another Chris Redfield in her life, only this one was not related and not quite the hard-ass. Except behind the smiles and friendship, there was an unspoken harshness and disappointment he felt towards her. He tried his best to hide it, Claire could always tell, but he was never very good at keeping things from her.

It was written all over his face. She had to admit, though she was ashamed to, that she was relieved when he had taken the job in Washington. Maybe the time away from one another would strengthen the bond they shared.

Leon swung the door open, a huge grin on his face as his cold blue eyes shot between the Redfield siblings.

"Chris, it's great to see you again, buddy." Leon said, reaching his arms out to give Chris a manly hug.

Claire shifted when her old friend turned to her and saw nothing but genuine happiness in his eyes. "Claire, you don't know how good it is to see you." He whispered to her when he pulled her in for a hug.

She was in a sudden shock when she felt his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her close to him. She felt his muscles through his shirt, his hard and sculpted chest against hers. Her hands grazed his arms and left her in disbelief. When the hell did Leon Kennedy get so damn buff?

"Kennedy, let go of my little sister. Government agent or not, don't make me clock you." Chris said, playfully punching the back of Leon's arm.

Leon laughed as he let go of Claire and took a few steps back. "Come in you guys. Jill's already here. We've been talking, and I'm thoroughly disappointed in you, Chris." Leon said, closing the front door behind him. Claire noticed that he locked it moments after, chain lock and everything. You can never be too safe, she reminded herself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The moment Leon explained what had happened to him in Spain; he almost wished that he hadn't. He could read their faces with no effort, and remembered the looks that each one bore. It was terror. Nothing but sheer terror. Hell, it was probably the exact same expression he had on his rookie cop face back in 1998.

Though hoards of the undead trying to gnaw your face off is a fairly disturbing thought, a brand new virus giving those infected the ability to work amongst each other to kill the uninfected was somehow much more terrifying. Until the moment he discovered what exactly was going on in Spain, he never thought anything like that was possible.

Maybe this _wasn't_ the ideal thing to open with...

"Hey, Claire, are you alright?" Leon asked, moving over to her on the couch. He scanned his apartment before moving so close to her to see exactly where Chris had gotten to. He was in the kitchen, hunting for food in Leon's poor fridge with Jill by his side. He figured this would be the best opportunity to finally get a few things off his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She nodded quickly. But she was lying. He could see that, he wasn't stupid. She kept her eyes peeled to the ground as if scared to look up into his.

But she did look up at him, with those wide baby blue eyes, when he grabbed a hold of her arm and gently pulled her to her feet. "Come; let's go talk on the balcony for a second."

He slid the balcony door closed and turned to look at her. Her back was facing her, her arms holding each other, trying to shield the other from the cool breeze. Her fire red hair blew back, the wind blowing into her as her eyes scanned the beautiful view of the city.

Leon walked to her side and slipped off his jacket, slipping it onto her shoulders with a warm smile. She glanced back at him and returned the smile before turning her attention back to the endless horizon of lights.

Leon leaned against the railing, staring off into the night as she was. He took a deep breath for courage and decided it was time to be a man and face the music.

"So what have you been up to, Claire?"

Claire slanted her head to watch Leon's face glow under the moonlight. A quick breeze blew by them, swaying strands of his light brown hair over his sharp eyes. "I'm a nurse at the hospital."

"Oh, nice. Which one?"

"Mount Sinai."

Leon nodded, "very nice."

He noticed something that whipped the smile off his face almost instantly. What was that on Claire's finger? Was that...

"Are you engaged, Claire...?" Leon asked hesitantly.

Glancing down at her finger, she looked up and shot him a small smile, nodding.

"Oh, wow...uh...congratulations. When...did that happen?"

He had never felt the way he did that moment. It was like a slap in the face. No, scratch that, it was like a punch in the face. He couldn't pin point where the feeling came from, but it was far too strong for his liking.

He thought they were closer than that, much closer. How could she get engaged and not tell him? And who the hell was this guy?

"About a year ago. I would have told you, but Chris told me that you were really busy in Washington." She answered the question as if she could read his thoughts. "His name is Lloyd...he's a construction worker." Every single question in his mind, answered. God, Claire Redfield was an amazing woman.

"And Chris approves?"

Claire shrugged, glancing back at her big brother watching TV with Jill behind the glass. "I'm sure he doesn't, but he doesn't say anything about it to me. Anymore, at least. No one will ever be good enough for his little sister. His standards are so high they're God-like."

A laugh escaped Leon's lips as he listened to Claire talk about her brother. It might have been annoying to Claire, but when it came down to it, Leon felt the exact same way. Claire was an amazing woman, the greatest one he'd ever had the pleasure of knowing. And if someone was going to date her, they'd better be damn near perfect. No, actually, they'd better _be_ perfect.

"And when is the date?"

Claire shrugged. Subconsciously, she played with her ring within her fingers, her eyes entranced on the white gold. "We haven't decided."

"Both of you haven't decided...or you haven't decided?"

Claire looked up into Leon's eyes.

"Claire, I completely understand where you're coming from, and I know it hurts, but sometimes you have to let it go." His voice was low, almost a whisper, as the wind carried it to the woman who stood silently beside him. Her eyes had fallen to the sidewalk twenty stories below, her heart had fallen just as low.

Claire remained silent. She couldn't speak. The tears stinging her eyes were an unstoppable force and she was quickly losing the battle.

Leon didn't speak a word. Instead, he just watched her carefully. It broke his heart to helplessly watch tears as they formed in her eyes, the glint of the moonlight illuminating them perfectly for him.

He knew exactly what it was about without having to say a word. Steve, the one she lost but could never fully let go. She had told him all about it, years ago, with tears streaming down her face and her chest heaving. He remembered every moment of that conversation, because he swore he could feel his heart breaking alongside hers. She had trouble dealing with it, the whole thing. And from the looks of it, she hadn't quite figured it out yet.

"It just…isn't fair." Claire finally said. Her voice was as heavy as her heart, and hearing it was the final straw. She could hold the tears no longer, could no longer put on a brave face and pretend she was alright like she had done all those years. If there was anyone that could help her, it was the man who stood beside her. "You should never say that to a person…not when you die. It just isn't fair."

"I know it's not Claire. He shouldn't have said it."

"And now_ I_ pay for it, every single day. He didn't even know me…how could you utter those words to anyone you've known for such a short time?"

"In those types of situations, you grow a lot closer to somebody in a much shorter amount of time than you would normally. Look at us, Claire. We've had our differences, but I still come to you with every little thing, and you do the same. There's something in you that I will never have with anyone else, and I'm sure he felt it too. How could he not when he's with someone as amazing as you?"

Claire shook her head and whipped away the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I just can't understand why it's still bothering me. It was _so _long ago. I feel so stupid for letting it still bother me…for letting it run my life."

"Claire, you can remember the ones you've lost along the way, but you have to pick up the pieces of your life and keep going. I don't know much about the kid, but I do know that he wouldn't want you to waste the rest of your life away because of what happened to him. Live. If not for me, then for him."

She sobbed and nodded, and that was all it took for Leon to close the gap between them. Wrapped his arms around her waist, he pulled her close to him again. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Claire, you know you can talk to me anytime…it's what I'm here for. I know I'm in Washington most of the time, but I'm just a phone call away. And if you need me here, I will leave the minute you mutter those words, no questions asked." He whispered into her ear.

She felt his warm breath against her neck and smiled. "I know…thank you, Leon."

Inside Leon's apartment, Chris saw the embrace the two Raccoon City survivors were sharing outside and immediately jumped up from the couch. He could see the tears on Claire's pale cheeks, and felt his blood instantly boil. What the hell did Leon do?

He moved to take a step towards the balcony, but was pulled back to the couch by Jill's strong grip. She stood behind him and shook her head as he glanced back at her.

"Let them talk, Chris." She told him firmly.

He let out a defeated sigh and turned back to his little sister crying in the arms of one of his closest friends. Government agent or not…he _would _clock him.

* * *

**Please feel free leave a review. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Plug in, Baby

Chris Redfield always gave people the benefit of the doubt. He didn't know much about what happened on Leon's balcony the other night, Claire refused to tell him. All he knew was his little sister was out there crying in the arms of his best friend. Chris Redfield didn't know what happened, but he was going to give Leon the benefit of the doubt.

Chris slumped down on a barstool and leaned against the counter of the bar. With a look of disgust on his face, he lifted up his arms. He groaned as the bartender walked by with a smile on her face.

"It's a bit sticky, isn't it?" She leaned over and whipped the spilt liquor off the wood. Chris tried to avert his eyes from the dangerously low cut shirt the woman wore, but who the hell was he kidding? He's a man, for God sakes. And Lord knows he isn't tied down to any particular person.

"What are ya having, stranger?" She asked, tossing the damp cloth into the sink behind her.

"I'll just grab a beer, please."

"Sure hun. What type?"

"Stella."

"Sure thing." The bartender grabbed a clean glass and began to pour the fine beer into the pint glass. "A handsome thing like you isn't here all by himself, are ya?"

"No, I'm actually waiting for a friend of mine." Chris said, glancing around the bar. He nodded at Leon as the younger man slipped off his jacket and walked over to Chris.

Leon shot Chris a quick smile and took a seat beside him. The bartender placed Chris's beer in front of him before flashing a smile at Leon. "Well, aren't I the luckiest woman in town tonight. I get the pleasure of looking at two of the most handsome men I've seen in ages all night long. What'll you have, hun?"

Leon glanced over at what Chris was drinking and turned back to the bartender. "I'll just grab a Canadian, please."

After a few flirty comments, the bartender finally left the two Raccoon City survivors alone with each other and their beers.

"So what exactly happened the other night on your balcony?" Chris asked, setting down his beer.

Straight to the point. Chris Redfield was many things, but a man who danced around his thoughts and concerns, he was not. "What are you talking about?"

"Why was Claire so upset? She wouldn't tell me about it. What did you say to her?"

"Nothing. I just asked her about her engagement. What exactly do you know about this guy?"

Chris shrugged and took a swig of his beer. "I know that he's a construction worker and probably a pig. Since they started dating I've heard of nothing but problems coming from that relationship. They fight all the time, though Claire always blames herself for snapping over the smallest things. They break up every other day, it seems. Once again, Claire says she's always the one who starts and finishes it. She confided in Jill once, so don't you dare speak of this to her otherwise I'm going to get my ass kicked by _two_ women, but apparently there's not much trust there."

"So why is she still with him?"

Chris shrugged again. "That's what I've been trying to figure out. She's not the girl that I used to know all those years ago…I hate Umbrella for ruining what was once an optimistic kid. I think she's just trying to fill a void in her life, and she seems to think that he's it." He let out a sharp breath, staring intently at the crisp glass in front of him. "I know he isn't, though."

Sometimes Leon wondered what everyone was like before Raccoon City. What was Claire like before she unknowingly stumbled upon a city that was lost to the dark side? What was she like before her entire life crumbled to pieces before her eyes? Leon never had the privilege of meeting that Claire. But he had met the Claire Redfield he knew and loved today. She was tough, a fighter above all else. And she was as caring, loving, and protective as a mother.

Leon found himself smiling at the thought. Claire would be an _amazing_ mother. Any kid who was lucky enough to have her as a mother would be envied by all. He could still remember the way she interacted with Sherry the night their lives changed. She put the girl's safety above hers at every turn, a girl he had only met that night. There were no doubts on Claire's behalf, no hesitation. The only thing that mattered was keeping that scared little girl safe, and that was exactly what she did. Until she left, anyway.

"What do you mean about there not being much trust? She doesn't trust him? What happened?" From the time Leon had met Claire, all she had was trust. She trusted him all those years ago in Raccoon City to have her back, and she trusted him again to contact her big brother when she was stranded on Rockfort Island. What had this fiancé of hers done to take her ability to trust away?

"Apparently Claire isn't enough to satisfy him, if you know what I mean." Chris tried to hide the disgust of talking about his little sister's sex life, but Leon could see it on his face as plain as day.

"He's cheated on her?" For this jerk-off's sake, Chris had better say no.

"Maybe. There's no proof of full blown cheating, but he likes to sign up for webcam websites, and call certain phone numbers. He's essentially cheating, but via webcam and over the phone instead of in person. It used to bother Claire, but I think it eventually broke her down to the point where she shuts up and takes it."

Leon couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had he really been gone for so long that he came back to an empty shell of what was once a fiery young woman? The thought of her settling for something less than what she deserved made his blood boil. How could Chris sit back and not do anything about the way his only living family member was planning on spending the rest of her life.

"I've tried to talk her out of the relationship, but she just won't budge. She say's she's happy and that I should mind my own business and work on my own personal life instead of prying into hers. In the end, I'd rather keep my little sister so when that ass breaks her heart I can kill him rather than push her away from me."

Leon finished off his beer. "Is Claire home right now?"

Chris glanced at his watch. "She should be, yeah." He watched his friend pull out his wallet and toss some bills on the counter beside his empty glass. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go see Claire."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, guys! Don't forget to leave a review!**


	4. Black Holes and Revelations

**I would like to first and foremost thank everyone who has put this story under their favourites, set an alert for updates, and those who leave reviews. It's great, enthusiastic readers like you that push me to keep writing.**

**I would like to apologize for this chapter taking a little longer than normal. I had some serious problems with my computer, and after about a week, my brother was finally able to fix it. So, I can **_**finally **_**get this chapter up!**

**Also, I made sure to make this chapter a little bit longer than the last few. Sorry about that, Seto Takahashi, hope you enjoy it!**

**Don't forget to review guys!**

"Claire, talk to me." Leon watched as the woman he survived hell with took a seat beside him. She wrapped a blanket around her thin frame and kept her eyes forward. She admired the garden of flowers she had planted in her backyard earlier that summer and made a quick mental note to water them the next morning.

Leon leaned forward on the wooden porch, his forearms resting on his legs as he turned to look at her. Her hair was tied back, the way he had always seemed to remember it. Not much had changed about her physical appearance since the last time he saw her, or even from when they had first met in Raccoon City.

He had seen her a few times with her hair down, and remembered how stunning she looked. The layers framed her face perfectly, the tips of the fire red strands caressing her elbows as it swayed against her back. But because of her job and because it took no time or effort on her behalf, which she was a terrible fan of, Claire insisted on keeping her hair tied up, leaving only her perfectly sculpted bangs resting against her forehead and cheeks.

She was a little different than he remembered, though. Over the years, she had matured and grown accustomed to wearing makeup, even if it were only mascara. But her eyelashes said everything. Long, thick lashes exaggerated her deep blue eyes against her pale skin. If she was a complete stranger to him, Leon swore he would fall head over heels for Claire Redfield.

But she wasn't, and he wasn't. Instead, a broken shell of a woman haunted by the past sat beside him, her arms wrapped around herself to shield her body from the cool breeze that blew by.

"Okay…why do you smell like beer?" Claire asked, shooting him a smirk. "Are you drinking Chris style and spilling half the damn drink on yourself?"

He couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh at her questions. That was one thing he definitely admired about Claire. If the situation was heavy, she was quick to lighten the atmosphere and mood of everyone around her. It was just one of her many gifts that he had come to love over the years they spent together.

"I had like, one beer, Claire. And no, I did not spill anything on myself. Despite apparent popular belief, I am not an uncivilized caveman like your big brother. How can you possibly smell one beer on me? Do I seriously reek or something?" Leon pulled the collar of his shirt to his nose and took a whiff. He smiled when Claire let out a laugh, shaking her head at him.

"You smell fine, Kennedy, shut up. I was kidding. I knew you went out for drinks with Chris, he told me earlier today."

"Nothing gets past you, Redfield."

It was weird how something so small and so simple could make two people feel so completely at home. They often called each other by their last names. It was a weird habit they had gotten into years back, and it was one that stuck. Despite being called by his last name when he was at work, no one made it sound as good as Claire did. It felt weird when the name "Kennedy" was spoken by anyone who didn't have that light hearted, soft voice that his good friend wielded like a sharp sword. It was her dangerous weapon to get whatever she wanted out of any man, including himself and her older brother. She used it almost as well as a standard nine millimeter.

"I've missed you these last couple of years, Claire. It hasn't been the same without you. I mean, I've even tried replacing you, but to no avail…"

"Oh, poor Leon. You know, if you didn't work so damn far away, you wouldn't have to replace me. But no, mister big shot government agent over here has to be M.I.A. half the time."

"You know I had no choice with that, Claire. I love what I do, but trust me, if I had the choice, I don't think I would have kept it up so long. I mean, it doesn't leave much time for my personal life."

"I know." Claire whispered. Her eyes fell to the green grass that covered the ground below them. She hugged her knees, bringing them into her chest and rested her chin on her knee. "Did you ever find out what happened to her?"

Leon shook his head. "I like to think that I've worked my way up the ladder. Hell, I _know _that I have. But there are still some things that I'm not trustworthy enough to know, apparently." He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head, his eyes finding their way to the endless array of stars overhead. "I like to tell myself she's safer with them than she ever would have been with me, but sometimes it just isn't enough to get me by, you know?"

"Oh, I know. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about her anymore. I think about her everyday. Every single day, I ask myself if I did the right thing, if she's okay…if she's even still alive." Claire tilted her head up to push back the tears stinging at her eyes. "If she still remembers me."

It broke his heart to hear Claire still miss the little girl they had met that fateful night in Raccoon City. While part of him was angry at Claire for how she had ended things with Sherry, he scolded himself for expecting the young Redfield to have done anything differently. If it were one of his sisters, Leon would have done the exact same thing. Especially considering Chris was the only blood relative Claire had left.

If anything, the blame was in his hands. Claire had left Sherry with Leon thinking that he would protect her above all else and be there for her when she awoke from the nightmares that were sure to plague her mind. Instead, he had let unknown people who hid deep in the shadows pry her from his hands. Why had it taken him all this time to realize that?

"I _know_ she still remembers you, Claire. I don't think she'll ever forget you and everything you did for her that night." _All she did was cry your name from the moment you left to the moment they took her away from me._

"I'm not going to lie, Leon. I definitely thought that you could search for her in all the government data that would be at your fingertips. I didn't want to believe Chris when he said it wouldn't be that easy. Damnit, I _hate_ it when he's right."

"I will find her, Claire. My search for Sherry is far from over. One day, you will get the phone call. You just have to wait until then, unfortunately."

"That's a lot easier said than done, Kennedy."

"I know. But it's all you can do until that moment comes. It's all both of us can do."

Leon took in a deep breath. The air around them was chilly, but it was still a beautiful night. There were no clouds in the night sky, only stars and the glowing white moon could be seen overhead. Claire's backyard was silent as the two of them thought about the innocent girl they both managed to lose hold of so many years ago. It was another memory that haunted their every move. It was just one of the hundreds they had chalked up since September of 1998.

Leon readied himself to confront Claire about the reason he had in mind when he came straight from the bar. Her fiancé. He had never met the guy, and he already knew that he didn't like him. Simply by word of mouth, Leon already wanted to take him down a peg or two.

"So…how's prince charming?"

Claire sneered. "I knew there was a hidden reason to why you came by. God, you're so transparent. He's fine, thank you for asking."

"He isn't here tonight? Doesn't he have to work tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, he does. I'm surprised he went out tonight too. Normally he's in bed by now." Claire shrugged. "He's out with some coworkers."

"So why are you at home?"

"Because I have to work tomorrow?"

Leon thought to himself for a moment before a smile spread across his face. "I have a crazy idea…call in sick tomorrow and come out with me tonight. We'll party like a bunch of crazy, rambunctious teenagers."

Though it sounded like a lovely idea, Claire shook her head. "Leon, I can't. Are you crazy? I can't just call in sick."

"Why not? Do it. _Do it_." Leon poked her side with his fingers as she tried to swat them away her, edging away from his dangerous fingers.

"No, Leon, I can't. I already told Chris that the hospital is crazy because of the whole H1N1 pandemic. I think I'd actually be in a bit of trouble if I didn't go in for one of my shifts."

"Alright, alright. You win this round, Redfield. But mark my words. I _will_ be back." Groaning as he pushed himself to his feet, Leon held out a hand and helped Claire up. "It's getting late, so I'd better get going. I heard about those crazy twelve hour shifts, so go to bed early, and get some sleep. That's an order, Redfield."

Claire saluted him and held in a giggle. "Yes, sir!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leon waited until Claire closed the front door and locked it before turning to leave. He waved at her from the window before he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. Walking through her front lawn, when Leon reached the edge of the sidewalk, he saw a man stumbling his way. Leon winced at the way he staggered from side to side, sending painful memories back into Leon's thoughts. From the pictures all over Claire's place, Leon knew that this drunken loser was her fiancé.

His blonde hair was disheveled and pointed off into different directions. He clutched his toque in his grip, his cold, steel blue eyes watching Leon as they walked past one another.

With his brown hair in his eyes, Leon stared at the other man's. Leon's face remained cold and emotionless as he gave Claire's fiancé something to shudder about.

He heard the man's heavy boots thud as they banged against each of the porch's stairs, reaching his front door. Leon stopped dead in his tracks and glanced back at the quiet house when the door slammed shut, letting out an echo into the silent night. Leon tried to suppress the shudder that ran through him when he heard the chain lock roughly get thrown into place.

He knew that Claire was a strong woman and could hold her own. He had seen her strength, determination and drive in Raccoon City, and knew that she had survived many more horrors after the first.

But to kill a group of undead zombies with a handgun was completely different than having to deal with a drunken man nearly twice your size.

He knew Claire Redfield could hold her own, but even repeating that to himself that night left him tossing and turning in his bed, suddenly fearing for his best friend's safety.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!**


	5. Falling Away with You

**I'd like to thank everyone once again for all the wonderful reviews. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews for it!**

* * *

Leon stumbled in the dark, his arms stretched out in front of him as he tried to feel for large objects that may or may not leave a nice bruise on his body.

He cursed under his breath when his bare foot collided with the edge of his bookshelf. Clutching his sore toe, Leon already felt very hostile towards whoever decided to pay him a visit and knock relentlessly on his door at midnight.

A couple more knocks drew an aggravated groan out of Leon's lips. "Alright, alright, I'm coming already!" Leon's throat was dry and raspy as he called out to whoever was on the other side of his front door.

Flicking the light in the hallway on, Leon undid his chain lock and unlocked his door. His heart nearly stopped beating when he pulled the door open. The anger and annoyance inside of him quickly disappeared when he saw her standing there.

"Claire…what's wrong?"

Her eyes were red and puffy, making it very clear to Leon that she had been crying. He scanned her visible skin quickly as he searched for any bruises or cuts that may have marked her.

"Can I maybe stay here tonight?"

Leon finished pouring the second cup of coffee and slid the pot back into the machine. He made his way through the dinning room and took a seat beside Claire, handing her the warm cup.

She smiled, sniffled. "Thank you."

Leon sat on one of his legs and rested his cup down on the coffee table. He leaned against the strong back of the couch and watched her carefully, trying to read her emotions without saying anything. Finally, he decided there was one way and one way only to approach the situation.

"What happened, Claire?" His voice was low and steady. He wished he could say the same for his heartbeat.

"Nothing. We just got into an argument, and I really didn't care much to be there any longer. I hate when he drinks, he always gets so irritable."

"Did he hurt you, Claire?" The question was stuck in his throat since he had opened the door to find her teary eyed on the other side.

Claire shook her head, strands of her red hair falling over her eyes. She took a sip of her coffee and traced her finger over the design on the pink mug. Leon had bought that mug especially for her years ago because he said it matched the outfit she was wearing the night he met her. "He would never hit me, he's not like that."

A look of disgust washed over her face shortly after she said that. She looked up at him from under her bangs. "How did I not notice this was black coffee until now?"

"Oh, crap, I totally forgot." Leon reached forward and took the hot mug from her before dashing off into the kitchen.

She couldn't help but smile when she heard the sound of the fridge door open and close. Seconds later, she could heart a utensil hit against the ceramic cup as Leon stirred the sugar and cream together.

"Your triple triple, madam." Leon couldn't help but grin as he handed her the improved cup of coffee, slouching back into his spot on the couch.

"You remembered how I like it." She smiled. "Thanks" Claire took another sip of her coffee and was much happier with the sweet taste it had quickly become.

There was a sort silence between them, thoughts consuming both of their minds feverishly.

It had been so long since Claire and Leon partied like they used to. Every time he came home, they would make it a point to go out and drink until last call. Neither of them drank on a regular basis, but when the proper occasion arose, they had no problem knocking a few back and acting as though they were normal adults.

The nights never stopped at last call, though. They would always go to one another's place and order pizza, go on coffee and Red Bull runs whenever they felt themselves begin to lose the battle against sleep. It was weird how something so simple could give someone such an excited feeling, but it did. Every single time.

"You know what; I think I may take you up on your previous offer."

Leon cocked an eyebrow, a crooked smile spreading across his lips. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Are you still down, Kennedy, or are you sleepy, you old man."

"Hey, you're not that much younger than me. You're only a few years off from me, Redfield. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is and let's get 'er done."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They didn't know when last call was on a Sunday night, and they didn't care to ask, so they made sure every moment at the bar was well spent.

Claire took a deep breath and poured her shot glass of jagermeister into a whiskey glass half full of Red Bull. Leon smiled at her, already holding his jagerbomb in his hand when she picked hers up. He had dropped the shot glass into his Red Bull and noticed that she didn't.

Come to think of it, she never drank a jagerbomb the way she was supposed to. Bad college experience, she had told him years ago. She didn't want to end up with a chipped tooth like her roommate had, and Claire figured herself forgetful enough to pull the drunken mistake off. So to avoid it altogether, she always poured the shot of jagermeister into the Red Bull as opposed to dropping it in, shot glass and all.

"Ready, Redfield?"

Claire nodded and threw the shot back. She shuddered as she forced it down her already burning throat. Three jagerbombs in half an hour, boy was she was going to be screwed for work tomorrow!

She suddenly pulled out her phone and began to type a messed out on the keyboard. It caught Leon's attention, and he cocked an eyebrow, interested in what she was up to at the opposite end of the booth they shared.

"Hey, whatcha up to over there?" Leon asked, taking a sip of his cold beer.

"I'm texting Anne from work to let her know I won't be making it in tomorrow."

"I thought you couldn't do that."

Claire shrugged, glancing up at him as she sent the text to her co-worker. She slipped her phone back into her pocked and turned her full attention to Leon. "They'll be fine without me for one day. It's not everyday that you're back home, so I think this is a perfect reason to play hooky.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Leon grinned, lifted up his beer. "Cheers, Claire."

Claire smiled and tried to ignore the room spinning around her. "Cheers, Leon."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leon held Claire by the waist and helped her into his apartment. He held her by his side and closed the door with his foot, sliding the lock into place shortly after.

"You know, Leon, I'm fine. I can walk by myself." Claire assured him, resting a hand on his chest.

Leon led her to his bedroom, careful to guide her away from his furniture in the darkness. She didn't need a nice bruised toe like he had given himself earlier that night.

Claire was right, Leon admitted. She probably wasn't that drunk at all. She probably didn't even need assistance walking to the bedroom, but he wanted to be sure nothing happened to her while she was in his care. He was feeling pretty good himself, and judging by her size and the equal amount of drinks they had, he was sure she was more than under the influence.

"Here you go. I'm going to go sleep on the couch in the living room, alright? I'll keep the door open, so just call me if you need anything. And you know where the bathroom is if you can't hold in your liquor any longer. Don't go puking on my brand new bed sheets, Redfield." Leon whispered the words to her as he tucked her under his sheets. He sat on the bed beside her and tucked her bangs behind her ears as she gazed up at him.

"Why are you sleeping on the couch? Can't you sleep here?"

"Claire…I don't think that would be a good idea."

Claire flashed him a suggestive, cocky smile. "Why's that, Kennedy?"

Leon remained silent and removed his hand from her forehead, placing it in his lap and as far away from her as he could manage at the moment.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Leon. I'm kidding. The truth is I haven't slept alone in a long time…years, actually. I went straight from living in a two bedroom apartment with Chris to living with Lloyd. And even when I lived with Chris, the guy always seemed to be awake, so it was easy for me to sleep at night."

Leon didn't speak as he came around the bed and lifted up the sheets. Moving closer to her, he slid his arm under neck and pulled her against him. He felt her curl her body against his, her head and hand resting against his chest.

She didn't have to say anymore. He knew exactly how she felt about sleeping alone. It was another similar problem they shared since September of 1998.

"Thank you for everything, Leon."

"What?"

Claire tilted her head and met Leon's eyes with her own. "Thank you for picking up the bill, I owe you for next time. Thank you for being there for me. Always, no matter what."

"That's what friends are for, Claire."

"About that…" Claire whispered.

Leaning forward, she closed her eyes and found his lips, eager for the simple touch of warmth they had to offer her. Her hand crept up his chest and cupped the back of his head, her fingers getting lost in his hair.

His body went stiff and rigid. She felt it. And she ignored it. She shifted her body and slid her leg between his, propping herself up on her elbow.

Running her tongue along his teeth, he opened his mouth hesitantly. In the moment, it seemed almost impossible for him to turn away from the sweet taste she had to offer. He kissed her back with more passion, the feeling of her small, fragile body locked against his felt like a piece fitting into a puzzle. Perfect.

His arm that had been under her came up and rested around her shoulders as he kissed her back with a longing he didn't know he could feel. He spent so much time locking away his deepest thoughts and feelings that he hadn't realized what he had only dreamt of had been in front of him the entire time.

His body was warm as she continued to kiss him, lost in the feel of Leon Kennedy's tongue running along hers. A small moan slipped through her lips as his hand found its way to the back of her head, pulling her closer to him with an urgent need.

Breathless, the Raccoon City survivors managed to untangle their tongues. Trying to steady their breath, Claire rested her forehead against Leon's and couldn't help but smile.

* * *

**Thank you for taking the time to read my latest chapter. Please don't forget to leave a review!**


	6. Undisclosed Desires

**Guys, I'm so terribly sorry that it's taken me a longer to get this chapter up. I normally try to update the same day every week, but I've had quite a bit going on and haven't been able to sit down at my computer and actually get something out.**

**But look, here it is! I will update ASAP, and will get started on the next chapter the next time I'm alone with my Blackberry. **

**I want to, once again, thank everyone for the lovely reviews. It's great to see people so dedicated to leaving their thoughts!**

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!**

* * *

Leon's head was spinning when his eyes fluttered open. Was it from the vast amount of alcohol he had consumed the night before? Or was it from the kiss he had shared with a certain redhead?

Leon closed his eyes and stretched his legs, indulging in the warmth his bed had to offer him.

He could still remember the way Claire's body felt against his. A faint smile spread across his lips as he remembered the way her soft, full lips felt against his. He remembered the way her flat stomach melted against his and suddenly wished he could feel that again. When she had turned over to kiss him, her shirt had edged up, pulling his with it, and gave the other a quick tease from the warmth of their skin touching.

He opened his eyes and only then realized that Claire was no longer in his arms, leaning her head against his hard chest. Sitting up in his bed, he noticed that he was alone in his bedroom. Leon listened for movement in the living room, but was only greeted by silence. Tossing the thick sheets off him, he made his way out of his room and looked around frantically for Claire.

Claire's hand rested on the front doorknob when she turned around to look at him, hearing him approaching. He quickly noticed that she had grabbed her purse and was about to leave his apartment when he had emerged from his bedroom, stopping her instantly in her tracks.

"Oh…hi, Leon." Claire's voice was hushed as she spoke, as if she were trying to avoid waking up a third party.

"Hey, Claire. Uh, are you leaving?"

"Yeah."

"Were you planning on leaving without saying goodbye?" Leon walked closer to Claire, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall. He watched her carefully, reading her emotions because he knew she was going to plead the fifth.

And she did. He knew her all too well.

"Claire, what's wrong? You weren't going back home, were you?"

"Yeah, I was."

"Why? You're going to go back to him?"

"Leon, we had a fight. Has it really been that long since you've been in a relationship that you've forgotten about the fact that that's what couples do?"

Why was she attacking him? He was trying to help her, damnit. Was she trying to start a fight to ease the guilt of leaving him high and dry so suddenly? Leon had to take a deep breath to stop himself from arguing back. Instead, his voice was calm as he spoke to her. "Claire, if you can't spend the night with someone after you have a fight with them, you shouldn't be with them. What does that say to you?"

Anger flickered on Claire's features. "What that means to me is that I shouldn't come to you when I need someone because you'll just throw it back in my face. Screw off, Leon."

Claire pulled the door open and turned away from Leon. His open hand rested on the door above Claire's head. With almost no effort, he slammed the door shut, drawing out a startled gasp from Claire's lips.

Leon moved so quickly that Claire couldn't even counter him.

He grabbed her hips and turned her around to face him. He threw her against the door with a thud, careful to keep her head away from the wood in the quick motion. She tilted her head back to look up at him, her blue eyes wide with shock. She was speechless.

He leaned down, edging closer to her slowly to leave her unsuspecting of his motives. He leaned down so his lips were only a hair away from Claire's ear. He smiled, kept his hands firmly planted on her hips. Words could not explain how badly he wanted to take those small hips and grind them against his. He felt her shudder when he whispered into her ear, his warm breath caressing her skin.

"You shouldn't have kissed me, Claire." Closing the gap between his lips and her skin, he gently took her earlobe into his mouth. Her hands rested against his chest as she leaned her head back against the door, closing her eyes to fully enjoy his lips sucking on her.

Trailing kisses down her neck, he watched her from under his hair. His tongue ran along her skin between deep, rough kisses. He felt her shudder with each one. He could feel her moan in her throat as he kissed it longingly.

"I know, I'm sorry."

She could feel his lips curve into a smile as they trailing back up her neck. His warm breath drew another shudder out of her, his lips hovering over her ear once again. "I'm not."

Without warning, his lips crushed hers, taking dominance of her mouth with a fiery passion that neither of them had felt before. Towering over her, Leon leaned forward, his forearm resting against the door just above Claire's head. His other hand affectionately cupped her cheek as he kissed her with everything he had.

He smiled against her lips when he heard the thud of Claire's purse falling to the floor. He pressed his body against hers, desperate to feel the warmth of it against him.

Claire's mind was completely empty as she kissed Leon back. A strong tingling feeling between her legs was making it impossible to push him away and firmly remind him of her fiancé at home. She knew she should have, but she couldn't bring herself to. Her fingers intertwined at the back of Leon's neck as she wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him closer to her, even though at this point, it wasn't possible. The only way they could possibly be closer is if he were in her.

He knew he was hard. The feeling of having Claire against him was too much for him to bear. All the government training in the world couldn't give him enough self restraint to keep himself from tearing off all her clothes right there and then.

The moaning deep in her throat was driving him absolutely insane. His knees nearly buckled below him when she nipped on his bottom lip, sending him a sexy smirk as she did so.

"That's it." Leon muttered.

Claire let out a squeal as he grabbed her ass and lifted her up. Holding onto him out of fear he would drop her, Claire leaned her chest against his as he pushed her against his front door. Leon saw her eyes nearly roll back into her head. His hardness was pressing up against her, where it had belonged all this time. All this God damn time.

His lips found hers again, a hot, heavy, urgency for the soft feel of hers ran through his entire body. He felt her wrap her legs tightly around his waist, pulling him as close as she could to her. He lost the fight against the moan in his throat when he felt her against him. Good _God_, he could feel her against him.

"Wait, wait, Leon, stop." Claire begged him between kisses.

Reluctantly, he let go of her when her hands began to push against his chest. Bending down to pick up her purse, she tucked her hair behind her ears and looked up at him, trying to avoid the very apparent bulge in his pants.

"What's wrong, Claire?"

"What's wrong?" She pointed her fingers back and forth between them. "This, this is what's wrong. Leon, I have a fiancé. A fiancé, for God sakes."

"A fiancé who doesn't treat you good, Claire." He reminded her quickly.

"Oh? And you would treat me better, Leon? I seem to remember you absent from my life about ninety percent of the time. You really think you would be better for me?"

Leon was silent. He didn't have anything to say to that. It was true. Painfully true. Even if he did try to establish a relationship with Claire that went beyond friendship, his job would ruin it. That would probably be by he couldn't even remember the last time he had a girlfriend.

"Look, Leon, I'm going to go. I'm supposed to have lunch with Jill." Claire shot him one last look as she pulled open his front door. "Bye, Leon."

Leon let Claire leave with apartment without getting another word in. He wasn't happy about her leaving, but he wasn't fond of the idea of holding a woman in his apartment against her will, either. Leaning his forehead against the door, he couldn't fight against the smirk that grew on his lips.

He could still feel hers against them as he let out a small chuckle. Jesus, what had he gotten himself into?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"He kissed you?" Jill nearly choked on her ice tea when Claire filled her in on just how she had spent her morning.

"Yeah. Well, after I kissed him in bed last night."

Jill sat down her drink and swept her long, chestnut brown hair behind her. Leaning her forearms against the table, she leaned in closer to her friend. "You were in bed together?" Laughter erupted from Jill as she enjoyed the news. "Oh, man, Chris is going to _kill _him."

"Wouldn't Chris be happy about this, though?"

Jill looked at the redhead and cocked her eyebrow, narrowing her eyes. "Why would news of his best friend hooking up with his little sister make him happy?"

Claire shrugged and took a long sip of her coke. "Isn't that a good thing? I mean, who do you trust more than your best friend? You know him, and he's got to be a good guy if he's your best friend."

"Wow, it's like you don't know Chris at all. It's your _best friend_ doing your _little sister_, the last ray of sunshine in his life. I don't think that's ever going to be considered a positive thing."

Claire nodded, rethinking the words that were just spoken between them. That was one thing she always admired about Jill. The woman could always see both sides of a situation and constantly had a clear mind to asses them with.

"Just for the record, though, there is no "doing" of each other or hooking up between Leon and me." Claire corrected.

"Yet…right?"

"I have a fiancé, Jill. It was terrible of me to just kiss Leon, forget about adding sex to the equation."

"You have a fiancé who's an ass, Claire. You should never settle for someone who doesn't deserve you, and I hate to be the one to say it, but I think you have. I'm not saying you should throw your world upside down for a man who's hardly ever in it, but think about what you deserve and how you're not getting it right now. You and Leon have gone years without acknowledging the feelings that have obviously been between the both of you. Maybe it's time to step back and just let fate work its magic."

A wide smirk appeared on Jill's red lips as she picked up her ice tea. "And tell me all about it when you do."


	7. Butterflies and Hurricanes

**I'd like to thank everyone for all the wonderful reviews. It's always good to get feedback on a piece of writing, and I appreciate you taking the time to write your opinion.**

**Lime Rickey****. I'm glad you noticed that every chapter was named after a Muse song! I'm a little obsessed with them right now, so I thought it would be a cool idea to do that. I was waiting to see if someone would notice!**

**Kurumi-chan****. Thank you so much for your review! It was very long and very detailed. It's great to read reviews like that.**

**Seto Takahashi. ****No, I do not have a beta reader, as I suppose you could already tell. I had a good friend who used to do it for me; perhaps I should message her and see if she would still be interested in doing that for me. Thank you for letting me know about my error.**

**Thank you to everyone else who has left a review, it really keeps me going with my stories.**

**Please enjoy this chapter. It's a little bit longer than the rest of them, but hey, that's a good thing, right? Please don't forget to leave a review. Thanks for reading, guys!**

**

* * *

**

"Whip that damn grin off your face, Kennedy."

Leon didn't expect Chris to give him a warm welcome, not after what he told him. Yet another downside of his job was the fact that he wasn't around nearly enough to make new friends. The only people he surrounded himself with other than co-workers was the three other survivors of the horrors that fell upon Raccoon City. He was never that close with Jill, and it would have been weird on way too many levels to count if he went to her. And Claire was part of the problem he found on his hands, so that wouldn't have worked either. The only option was, that's right, the big bad wolf himself, Chris Redfield.

Maybe several years ago Leon would've been scared shitless of Chris, even before those biceps came along. But right now, as a top government agent, the fury that was written all over Chris Redfield's face did no more than make Leon smile. He had been around Chris long enough to know that he wasn't capable of hurting a fly. Unless of course that fly happened to rise from the dead. Or went by the name of Albert Wesker. But, then again, you could never be _too_ sure when dealing with someone like Chris Redfield. He was a might unpredictable.

"What? Come on, I can't help it. You've got that whole angry face thing going on."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you're right. Should I be jumping up and down to hear that you _made out with my little sister?"_

Leon ran his hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh. Maybe this was a stupid idea altogether. What was he trying to accomplish by going to her older, protective as hell, brother?

"I didn't come here to rub that in your face, so I don't know why you're so angry." Leon shrugged, leaning back in his chair. He rested his hands on the back of his head as he watched Chris carefully. His eyes drifted down to the table between them. Hmm...that butter knife was _way_ too close to him.

"Then what do you want from me, Kennedy?" Chris asked, clearly irritated. He glanced down at his empty plate and noticed the butter knight beside it. Oh, the countless ways he would gut the man before him with that dull little knife...

"I think I want to be with her."

Chris raised an eyebrow. Did Leon just actually say he wanted to have sex with his little sister _right_ in front of him? "What exactly do you mean by that, Kennedy? And watch what you say because I am far from impressed with you as of right now."

Leon laughed and shook his head. He absentmindedly twirled his fork in his hand as a soft smile crept over his face. "I don't know, exactly. I think I could actually fall in love with her. Hah, God, I never thought I would say that about anyone, much less Claire."

"What do you mean, 'much less Claire?' Kennedy, I swear, you are walking a very thin line between going home in one piece or spending a few nights in the hospital."

"Chris, you are taking this _way_ too seriously. I meant, she was right in front of me all this time, and I never noticed that what I was looking for had been there from the beginning. She's always been a friend to me, a really good friend, and I swear I never noticed until now that she was a woman. How could it have taken me so damn long to notice?"

"Alright, did you just say all this time you thought of my little sister as a man?" Seriously, if Leon didn't leave from this table with a swollen face, Chris would be surprised at his self control.

"What? No, God no, Chris. What are you doing to me, man? I'm being completely serious here. I just never thought of the possibility of me dating her before, that's it. Man, you have _got_ to stop putting words in my mouth. Especially weird ones like that." Leon narrowed his eyes.

"Leon." Chris let out a sigh. "I don't think this is a very good idea." Leon opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by Chris's voice overpowering his. "I don't mean because you're my buddy and she's my sister. She's a grown woman, she can date whoever she wants, even if it's...you. I mean the fact that she's got a fiancé already. Not a boyfriend, a fiancé. That, plus the fact that you're gone nearly all of the time. Why would you want to open a can of worms like that and run away for Lord knows how long? It isn't fair to Claire, and I don't want you, or anyone, putting her through that."

Those were all very good points, Leon cursed to himself. But no matter what stood between them, Leon was determined to find a way to be with her, one way or another. He hadn't felt that much chemistry since...well, never. And he was going to be damned if he let it slip through his hands.

"Chris, you don't even like her douche of a fiancé. I think I'm a hell of a lot better for her than that loser. And I'm only gone for so long because I've never really had anything to come back to here. Well, I have you guys, but nothing was actually tying me down. I think if I was with her, I would be a lot more inclined to come home more often. A _lot_ more inclined."

Chris let out a breath and scratched the back of his head. "Leon, I understand that you're not a fan of Lloyd. Hell, me and Jill aren't either. But it's Claire's life. Honestly, you can't come waltzing back whenever you feel like, throw her life upside down, and jet off to save the President's daughter, or whatever the hell it is they've got you doing. It's not fair to her." Chris threw up his arms in defeat as the waiter came by the table and dropped off their bill. Picking up a piece of breadstick, he tossed it into his mouth before he finished. "But like I said, she's an adult now, so are you. You two need to figure this thing out on your own. Just be sure to look at the negative side as well as the positive."

Chris got up and pointed at Leon, flashing him a smile. "And yeah, while you were blabbing about your job, I came to the conclusion that you should grab the bill. After all, you did make out with my little sister."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

God, Claire was in a foul mood. She had cheated on her fiancé, Jill was right, and Leon was stuck on her mind. Not to mention Chris's response when he found out she had kissed Leon. _If_ he ever found out, Claire told herself as a devious smile spread across her pink lips.

She didn't want to be this girl. She _never_ wanted to be the type of girl she suddenly found herself as. She ran around on her fiancé and cheated on him. For what? Leon was leaving in probably a few weeks, if not days, so what did she ruin a sure thing for? She wracked her brain trying to find a reason worth plaguing her heart with such guilt, but found nothing. Maybe lust? She_ had_ been with Lloyd for a few years now, and the spark had definitely faded. That could explain it.

"Stop sulking, Claire. Your face will stay like that and then _no_ boy will want you." Jill told her as she passed by the couch in her living room, heading into the kitchen. Claire stuck her finger up at Jill's back. That was the only time Claire would ever feel comfortable flipping her off. Jill Valentine was a force that even Claire did not want to mess with.

"Put that finger down, Claire." Jill warned her from in the kitchen.

Claire slowly lowered her finger. Her eyes scanned the living room, a nervous look on her face. "How the hell did you know that? Jill, do you have cameras in here or something?"

Jill walked out of the kitchen with an apple in her hand. Walking by Claire again, she smiled and shook her head. "No, you're just predictable." Jill teased before disappearing in the other end of her apartment.

Claire smiled and shook her head. She had never gotten along very well with women. Claire was stubborn and a tomboy and most girls that she grew up with didn't appreciate that. Jill was the first and only woman that Claire had ever actually gotten along with. And that was a damn good thing, too. Of all the women in the world to have as a best friend, Jill was definitely a kick ass one.

Rubbing her eyes with her hands, Claire let out a groan as she lay back on the couch. She stared at the ceiling, staring at it with such intensity as if the answer to all her problems had been written on it this entire time. But no, they weren't. Just white paint stared back at her. Claire looked closer. Chipped white paint.

"Jill, repaint your ceiling, you lazy ass." Claire called out, stretching her legs out below her.

"Claire, I swear to God, I will come out there and suffocate you."

"Yeah, with that big ass of yours."

"Claire, that's it-"

Claire jumped up. "Okay, okay, I'm kidding. Down, Jill, down! Maybe I'll just leave before you find yourself stuck with the dilemma of hiding my dead body."

Jill popped her head out of the hallway. She looked at Claire, confused. "Well, where are you going to go?"

Claire shrugged. "Home?"

"Claire..."

"I know, I know, it's stupid. It's just...all my stuff is there, and I really don't like leaving it there without me."

"Do you want me to go grab it and bring it to you? I have no problem taking a little drive."

Yeah, so Lloyd can get lost in your endless cleavage? Claire thought to herself. "No, that's alright."

An evil grin grew on Jill's lips. "Make Leon go. That'll give Lloyd a nice scare."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She didn't know what to do, but she knew that she had to do something, and quick. Jill went out to grab both her and Claire coffee, leaving Claire alone in the warm apartment Jill called home. She sat on the couch, staring blankly ahead as she tried to sort the pros and cons of the situation at hand.

The television was off, the radio was off, hell even most of the lights were off. The setting sun outside filled the apartment with a beautiful pink colour, reminding Claire of how beautiful life was. So why wasn't she enjoying it?

She never liked to be alone for too long with her thoughts, because after a while, they began to get the best of her. She would question anything and everything around her. But mostly, she would find herself beginning to question her relationship with Lloyd. And this time, unfortunately, was no different.

If Umbrella had taught her one thing, it was that life is terribly short. _Live like today is your last day, _Claire thought to herself.

Make no mistake, she loved Lloyd. She just wasn't _in_ love with him anymore. Each time he gave her a reason to question their trust and commitment, she found herself loving him less and less until she could no longer find the feelings she once felt for him. How can you marry someone you can't even trust? It didn't make any sense.

Claire cursed herself for not being strong enough to stand up and walk away. If any one of her friends were in her situation, she would tell them to get out and get out now. So why couldn't she follow her own advice?

Claire glanced down at the engagement ring on her finger and twirled it. It glittered from the light of the lamp beside her, sparkling elegantly. Had she jumped into everything too quickly? Maybe. But now her guilt was overwhelming her, and if she left him, she would be consumed by it.

She hated Leon for making her doubt her relationship. Who the hell did he think he was, coming into her life after years of absence and throwing everything upside down? Just because he's a government agent he thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants. A smile spread over Claire's face at the thought. She couldn't believe what a man the naive little cop had turned out to be so many years down the road.

Letting these thoughts upset her was doing no one any good. This was not a decision that could be solved overnight. So she was not about to sit back and let it ruin her sleepover at Jill's.

Claire plucked her phone off the living room table her feet were propped up on and flipped it open. She clicked on Leon's number and put her phone to her ear, ignoring her rapid heart beat as the phone rang on the other end.

"Hey, Claire. What's up?"

"Not much, I'm still at Jill's. What are you up to?"

"Well, I'm just heading home now after picking up the tab for both my and Chris's food. Doesn't the BSAA pay him well enough to buy his own food? God, Claire, the man eats like a beast."

Claire laughed. Yeah, that was her brother. "You think that's bad, you should see how expensive his grocery bills are. Anyway, I was wondering if you could maybe do me a little favor?"

"Anything."

"Could you maybe go by my place and pick up a few things for me? I don't really feel like going home, but I really want some of my stuff. Just in case. You know how paranoid I am."

"Yeah, I know. That's not a problem, Claire. Just tell me what you want."

"My laptop, my cell phone charger, and maybe a change of clothes? Hell, just grab whatever you can."

Anything to keep her from going back to the bastard. "The key still in the pink flower pot?"

"Yes."

"Even after all these years, eh Claire? Someone's going to catch on and you're going to have a visitor waiting for you one day."

"As long as they're not looking to gnaw on my flesh, I'll handle them accordingly. Thanks a lot, Leon."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leon rocked back on his heels. He stuck his hands deep into his pockets after he rang the doorbell, deciding it would be best if he didn't use the key Claire always left hidden under the flowerpot. He wanted to go in, grab her valuables, and get the hell out of there. He was not looking for a fight, and he knew that if another guy showed up with a key to their house, Lloyd would not appreciate that. Especially if the other guy was grabbing Claire's stuff and leaving.

The door swung open and left Leon speechless. Leon's mouth fell open as he stared straight ahead of him. He searched for words to say, but nothing came out. He was in no way expecting this.

"Can I help you?"

Leon studied the woman at the other end of the door and cleared his throat. The woman's platinum blonde hair was messed up, her eyes heavy and covered with makeup. She tied up her robe, realizing too much of her was showing to the stranger before her. Though the robe covered most of her pale legs, Leon could still see the high heels she was wearing. Well, at least she was wearing _something_.

"Is Lloyd there?" Leon finally asked.

"He's in the shower right now. Are you a friend of his?"

"Oh yeah, I'm a real close friend of his." Leon said, trying to keep his voice calm. He clenched his fists together in his pockets and reminded himself that she was not the one who was in the wrong. That asshole in the shower was.

"Oh, well come on in, then. He went in a while ago, so he should be out soon."

"Excellent. I'm just going to go grab some stuff in the bedroom. I'm running on a tight schedule, so hopefully he'll come out before I'm done."

Leon heard the woman go into the bathroom and talk to Lloyd as he grabbed Claire's belongings in the bedroom she shared with him. He heard the water shut off moments later and knew that a confrontation was going to go down whether he liked it or not.

Leon reached behind the bed and took out a small suitcase. He knew Claire had only asked for a few things, but there was no way in hell he was going to let her go back to Lloyd now. Over his dead body. He threw as much clothing he could fit in the suitcase and zipped it up when he heard footsteps come up behind him.

With the suitcase in his hand, Leon turned around to see Lloyd standing in the doorway with only a towel around his waist. The woman stood behind him, worry written on her face as her blue eyes shot between the two men.

"Well, if it isn't the guy Claire's banging."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "I'm not here to start anything; I just came to grab some of her stuff and leave. So if I were you, I'd get out of that doorway and let me walk out of here right now."

Leon headed towards the door but was stopped by Lloyd's shoulder. Leon glanced to his side, his eyes meeting with the other man's.

"You're not leaving here with any of her stuff. I suggest you put that shit back and tell her to get her ass home."

Leon turned to face Lloyd, standing a few inches over him. "I suggest you get out of my way. And Claire, your fiancé, is never going to come here again. The only Redfield that will be stopping by this place will be her brother, and the reason for his visit will be to kick your ass. And who knows, maybe I'll come by too. I think that's a fight I'd be very interested to watch."

Leon pushed past Lloyd and ignored the woman as he made his way down the stairs, heading to the front door. He wasn't an idiot; he knew exactly what had been going on in this house since Claire had left. The next time he was going to take a step inside this house was to kick that little prick's ass. And that was something he would have preferred sooner rather than later.


	8. Hysteria

**First off, of course I would love to thank everyone for reading. I love getting all of your reviews; they really help me move along with the story.**

** And I took everyone's advice and got a beta reader. In fact, I got the best beta reader around! So this chapter definitely goes out to ****LadyRavenlocke****, for taking time out of her schedule to look over my writing. Thank you so much! I'm sure everyone here will appreciate that greatly!**

** I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and please remember to leave a review so I know what you thought of it.**

"Stay in the car." Claire said. The anger written all over her face told Leon that she wasn't playing around. But he couldn't help feeling as though this was something she shouldn't do alone.

Gripping onto the steering wheel, Leon glanced over at the woman beside him. A cool breeze drifted into the car through the open windows, sending a chill down his spine. "Stay? Claire, you make me sound like a dog." He was expecting her to crack a smile or laugh. Something, anything. Instead, he only got a cold, irritated glare. "What? Come on, Claire, I want to go with you."

"No, this is something I want to do by myself." Claire turned away from him and pushed the car door open. She stuck her leg out of the car but stopped when she felt Leon grip her hand that was between them. She turned back to look into his cool blue eyes.

"Let me come with you Claire. I want to. You don't have to do _everything_ by yourself."

She paused for a moment, thought about it. She wanted to kick Lloyd's ass more than anything, but when it came down to it, she knew she could probably do little to no damage. Give her a gun and she was good to go. But her standing against a full grown man who does heavy lifting five days a week, eight hours a day…well, that just didn't sound like something she could really handle.

Besides, she figured she could handle the skank, and Leon could handle her soon-to-be-dead fiancé. Finally, she nodded. Leon had been by her side through one of the most horrifying experiences of her life. She knew that he had her back, regardless of the situation. He was the perfect person to go through life with. And while he was by her side, he might as well literally be by her side.

"Claire?" Lloyd's voice was full of surprise when he opened the door to find her standing there. Lloyd's eyes fell back to the blonde haired man who stood by her side, Leon's narrow eyes watching him carefully.

Claire pushed him aside, making her way into the house she shared with her fiancé. Looking around the first floor furiously, Claire shot a glance back at Lloyd. Leon crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, his eyes still on the other man.

"Who is she, Lloyd? Better yet, _where_ is she?"

"What, you're going to fight her?" Lloyd scoffed, turning away from the open front door.

"No, I'm not going to fight her. I'm going to _kick_ her _ass_, and then I'm going to kick _your_ ass." Claire promised him, walking straight to him.

Leon's arms fell to his side when he saw Lloyd's fists clench. He didn't know anything about Claire's fiancé, which only made him worry even more. Leon didn't know if Lloyd was the type of man to hit a woman, and he sure as hell didn't want to wait and find out. If he so much as raised a finger at Claire, Leon would make it his personal mission to make sure Lloyd left in a body bag.

"Claire, what the hell did you want me to do? Seriously? We've been engaged forever, and you still don't want to set a date. You always seem like you can't wait to go to work and be away from me. And Lord knows you hardly let me touch you anymore."

"So you're pinning this on me?"

Leon's attention drifted to outside the house for a moment. He saw people passing by, staring inside with wide eyes as they eavesdropped on the fighting couple. He wanted to reach forward and close the door, but instead he decided to remain still and be there in case Claire needed him.

Not that she would, he reminded himself, but just in case.

Claire pulled the ring off her finger and threw it at Lloyd's chest. The silence that filled the room only exaggerated the sound of the diamond hitting the cold wood floor below.

"I'm done, Lloyd. I should have been done a long time ago." She told him, her voice lower now.

"What, you're going to leave me because I made a mistake? Claire, I wouldn't have made that mistake if you'd just been a good fiancée and did what you were supposed to do." Lloyd cocked his head towards Leon. "You're going to leave me for this?"

"She could leave you for a stuffed animal and it would still be a step up."

Lloyd turned away from Claire and made his way to Leon. Standing only inches away from him, the two men stared into each other's eyes, neither one of them impressed with the other.

"What did you say?" Lloyd asked through gritted teeth.

"I think you heard exactly what I said."

"Maybe you'd like to repeat it."

The testosterone in the room was making Claire's head spin. She rolled her eyes and made her way towards the two men. She didn't want this to turn into a fight, and she couldn't help but feel as though the fight would be about her. Was she supposed to be flattered that there were two men who wanted to beat the crap out of each other because of her? Maybe, but she wasn't. Instead, she was just annoyed.

Claire reached for Lloyd's arm to pull him away from Leon. She wasn't doing it because she didn't want them to fight. She did it so Lloyd wouldn't get his ass kicked. He could work out all he wanted to, but when it came down to it, he was still no match for Leon. She didn't have to be around the agent for very long to see that much was obvious.

Annoyed that Claire was getting in his way, Lloyd shoved her back. He hadn't meant to shove her so hard, but her frame was small and she wasn't expecting it. She stumbled back, anger flickering on her face rather than fear.

She opened her mouth to yell at Lloyd for pushing her but was silenced by the sound of Leon's fist colliding with her ex-fiancé's jaw. It didn't surprise her to watch Lloyd fall onto the ground, both stunned and dazed.

Leon ran to Claire's side, his hands rubbing her arms affectionately. "Are you alright, Claire?" He asked, concerned.

"Leon, he just shoved me. I think I've been through a lot worse than that. I'm fine, don't worry." She glanced at Lloyd as he whipped the blood from his busted lip. "I wish I could say the same for him."

Leon chuckled and glanced up the stairs. "Do you need anything from here before we go?"

Claire shook her head. "Nothing I can't replace, much like that piece of crap."

"Good. Come on, let's get out of here."

Claire was about to close the door behind her and Leon when she heard a voice from behind. She glanced back, Leon doing the same a few steps in front of her.

"You'll be back, Claire. You always come back. You can't live without me, and you know it. All I have to do is count down the days until you come knocking at my door, _begging_ me to take you back."

Claire placed a hand on Leon's chest to stop him from entering the house again. She walked forward, a thin smile on her face as she stopped in front of the man she was to marry only moments before. She tilted her head back and looked up at the smug smile on his face.

"I somehow truly doubt that it's going to play out like that, Lloyd. By the way, the door isn't the thing that's going to get a good knock."

Claire's fist collided with Lloyd's temple with every ounce of strength she could summon up in that moment. God, it felt good to watch him stumble back, surprised from the second blow. She had wanted to do that for far too long.

Leon walked up behind Claire and rested his hands on her shoulders. He gently turned her away from Lloyd and led her towards the front door. He closed it behind him and waited a moment to hear it open again. He expected Lloyd to come after them. To his surprise, not a single noise came from inside the house as they walked down the porch steps.

A huge grin spread on Leon's lips as he messed up Claire's hair. She swatted his hand away from her head playfully as they made their way to his car.

"Very impressive hit back there, Redfield."

"I might say the same to you, Kennedy."

"I didn't know you could punch like that."

Claire shrugged. "Don't piss me off and maybe you won't have to experience the humiliation of getting clocked by a girl."

Leon let out a hearty laugh as he pulled the open the door to his car. He looked at Claire on the other side and shook his head. "After seeing that, I most definitely won't."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The open boardroom was almost completely cloaked in darkness. Those who were seated at the elongated table sat in the shadows in silence, their eyes focused on the man at the head of the table. Only a single light was lit in the room. It was placed behind the head of the table and was surprisingly dull. Instead of illuminating the room like a light was supposed to, it only gave it an eerie feeling that would send a shiver down anyone spine.

"What do we know about her?" The man at the head of the table asked. His fingers were intertwined, his elbows resting on the armrests of his chair.

A small female hand opened a file she had in front of her, scattering the papers on the table. Inside were pages of writing and several photographs. The small source of light in the room reached the pictures, lighting it up for everyone to see.

"She was one of the few survivors of Raccoon City. She seems to be an excellent choice for this position. From the notes we have, she's portrayed as motherly and protective. A guardian, if you will. She's been known to put other's safety before her own without so much as a second thought or a moment of hesitation. She's strong, courageous, and can stand on her own as well as by the side of others. She has strong beliefs and because of them will do anything to protect those who need it."

"And you think she will join us?" The man asked.

The woman nodded. "I'm almost positive that she will, sir. She would do anything to protect what is important to her. In fact, I'm sure that if she was aware of our organization she would already be a member. She's the perfect candidate, and I think it would be incredibly foolish of us to think otherwise."

The man picked up a photograph and studied it. The woman's red hair was as bright as the fire that he knew burned in her heart. He tossed it on the table and leaned back in his chair. "Well then, send someone to go talk to her."

The people at the table pushed back their chairs and headed to the door. Some of them had already left when the man spoke again. The figure of the woman who had spoken earlier turned around when she heard his deep, raspy voice.

"Tell me, what is her name?"

"Claire Redfield."


	9. Bliss

**I apologize for taking so long to update this chapter. I've been a little bit busy and haven't had the time to sit down and finish this one. So to (hopefully) make up for the delay I made this chapter nice and long. I know how much you guys hate my shorter chapter.**

**So I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and please remember to leave a review! Thanks guys!**

* * *

"You know, Leon, you don't have to wine and dine me." Claire couldn't help but smile. She leaned against the wall beside Leon's front door as he fumbled with his keys to open it. He glanced at her and shot her a smirk that told her he was concerned for her wellbeing. The pity made her stomach twist into a knot.

"What, a man can't take his friend out for a lovely dinner? Whatever has this world come to?" Leon pushed open his front door and motioned for her to enter his apartment.

Claire hesitated, her dangerous blue eyes darting back and forth between Leon and the darkened apartment. "Maybe I should stay at a hotel. I don't want to be an inconvenience for you, Leon."

Leon walked up to her and cupped her cheeks in the palm of his hands. He gazed into her eyes and felt the warmth of her radiate off him. "Claire Redfield, you will never be an inconvenience to me. You weren't one back in Raccoon City as a college student wielding a gun for the first time, and you definitely aren't one to me now. Now get your little butt in there before I change my mind."

Claire rolled her eyes and playfully pushed Leon away from her. "You know, that wasn't the first time I handled a gun. You think I could have Chris as a big brother and live my life without knowing how to use one? Trust me, from the moment I was old enough, he made sure I was well versed in all forms of defense."

Leon chuckled as he walked into his apartment, following closely behind her. Of course Chris would train her to protect herself; it would go against everything he believed in if he didn't. There was no way Chris would ever let his little sister walk around without knowing how to survive in a world he couldn't always protect her from. It was a damn good thing he did too, otherwise the younger Redfield may have never returned from that night in Raccoon City. Not that Leon would've let that happen.

Leon closed the door, and slid the lock into place before flicking the lights on in his kitchen.

Claire turned on lamps that she passed and tossed her purse on the reclining chair next to the couch. An exhausted groan slipped through her lips as she took a seat on the couch, reaching out for the television remote. She kicked off her shoes and rested her feet on the glass coffee table while she channel surfed.

"Nothing's on." Claire complained.

Leon came out from the kitchen, stopping at the dinning room table to pick up a small box that had been sitting there for a few days. A smirk was on his face as he walked over to Claire, holding it up for her to see.

"No. No way in hell are you getting me to watch that, Leon. Are you kidding me?" Claire shook her head. She tossed the converted beside her and crossed her arms over her chest as if it would exaggerate her take on watching the movie.

Leon took a seat beside her, the movie box still in his hands as a confused look spread over his face. "What, you mean you don't want to watch it? It's supposed to be a really good scary movie; everyone's been talking about it since it came out. People were fainting in the theatres, Claire._ Fainting. _Doesn't that make you curious to see it?"

"No, in fact I think it does the exact opposite for me. Do you have any idea how long it took me to actually get a decent night sleep after the whole Umbrella debacle? To this day I still cannot bring myself to watch a scary movie. Everything seems to hit a little too close to home for my liking."

"Even ghosts?"

"Yes, even ghosts." Claire mocked.

Leon nodded in defeat and tossed the movie on the coffee table. Claire could see the disappointment on his face and let out another groan. Running a hand through her hair, Claire surrendered and threw her hands in the air.

"Alright, put it in. But I swear, if I have trouble sleeping tonight, I am kicking your ass, Kennedy."

Leon laughed as he picked up the movie box, walking over to his DVD player. "It'll be fine, Claire. Don't worry; I'll be here to protect you anyway."

Claire rolled her eyes as Leon took a seat beside her. "Great. I feel _so _much safer."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The movie wasn't as bad as Claire had feared it would be. There was no gore, no unnecessary splatter of blood and human remains being butchered merely to gross out the audience. The movie decided to instead intensely disturb the audience by playing on a human's natural fear of the dark and the unknown that may lurk within it. Claire didn't know which one she would have preferred, the senseless gore or the reminder of things that go bump in the night.

No matter how much of a tomboy Claire came off as, there was still a very potent part in her that made her want to turn away from the television screen and scream like a scared little girl. Since childhood she had never been too fond of the dark. It was probably thanks to Chris and his disturbing love for horror movies. Either way, she had never been a fan of the unknown element that comes alongside darkness.

Claire pulled her legs into her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around them. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her knees as she watched the video the couple in the movie had recorded the night before while they slept.

Leon leaned closer to her, his eyes still peeled on the television. "What's wrong, Claire?"

"Nothing. I'm just cold." Yeah, it was a lie, but he didn't know that.

Leon chuckled and reached for the blanket on the recliner. Okay, judging by that laugh, maybe he _did _know that.

Leon lifted the blanket up and covered both him and Claire under it. She let her legs slide underneath her when she felt the warmth and comfort the quilted blanket had to offer. Rubbing her hand over it, she looked over at Leon with a wide grin on her face.

"Did mommy make this for you?"

"No, my grandma did. And don't hate on it, this blanket has saved me from turning into a popsicle more times than I can count."

Claire wanted to comment about Leon simply turning up the heat in his apartment on those particular nights, but she decided to keep her mouth shut instead. No amount of distractions was going to clear her mind from the scenes this movie had already lodged into her head.

Instead, Claire leaned into Leon, taking comfort in the feeling of another person beside her. She leaned her head on his chest, her arm resting over his lower stomach as she curled up against him.

A small smile appeared on his face as he rested his chin on her head, taking in the beautiful scent that was Claire Redfield. He let his arm rest on her shoulders, his fingers dangling against her skin.

_Dear God_. She could feel his abs through his shirt. She tried to ignore them but knew it was a fight she was quickly losing. The possessed girlfriend watching her boyfriend sleep for hours in the movie had no effect on Claire while her hand rested on his well built stomach. She tried to ignore the tingling she could feel between her legs, but it was too strong to ignore. Why ignore it rather than embrace it?

She felt Leon's fingers gently trail along the skin of her arm, sending shivers through her body with each stroke. His open palm rested on her shoulder while his fingers caressed her arm. It was as if he was doing it out of habit, it seemed to come so naturally to him.

When the woman on the screen began screaming uncontrollable, Claire jumped. She watched as the woman's boyfriend jumped out of their bed, taking off down the stairs, racing to his girlfriend's aid.

"Okay, I can't watch this. I _know _that bitch is going to come crawling into the room. I can just feel it." That was another thing that Chris had affectionately ruined for Claire. When they were younger, they had watched one of his favorite scary movies together before their bedtime. She'd spent what seemed like an eternity tossing and turning in her bed that night, trying to burn the images from her mind. She was finally beginning to drift to sleep when she heard her bedroom door creak open. Hesitantly, she looked across the room and saw Chris crawling towards her the same way one of the villains in the movie did. She screamed so loud that night she swore she could have woken the dead.

To this day, it still scared her like nothing else. Turning away from the television screen, she rested her chin on Leon's shoulder. She buried her head in the nape of his neck and waited to hear him reassuring her that there was no crawling whatsoever going on on his screen.

Instead of using his voice to comfort her, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her body against his. Her eyes shot open at the feeling his body gave her. Her heart fluttered, her body temperature rose, and tingles swam through her entire body. Claire was in no way used to these feelings, but she welcomed them to overtake her. She tilted her head back and found his eyes, surprised to see that he was already looking down at her.

Her hand rose from his stomach hesitantly and rested against his cheek. The scruff from his unshaven beard pricked her palm as he leaned his head towards hers. Claire licked her suddenly dry lips and met his halfway, parting at the request of his tongue.

His fingers tightened around the fabric of her shirt when she kissed him back. His mind was racing with thoughts that he wasn't used to possessing. Leon had never been the type of man who wanted the intimacy that came with sex. Well, he used to be, but the man that he became had developed many problems when it came to savoring the moment. He always thought of sex as a quick way to release stress and to help him relax. The girls he went to bed with never stayed in his mind longer than they needed to, and once they were gone, they were gone.

But with Claire in his arms, her tongue in his mouth, he felt a wave of newfound feelings that seemed all too interesting. He wanted her to stay by his side until forces beyond his control parted them. He wanted to take her to his bed and not let her leave until they were both mutually satisfied. And by God, if she permitted him, he would have her begging for the mercy of an orgasm before he was done with her.

She needed this more than anything. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she was free. She had no one to answer to, no one to explain to, and she wanted to take full advantage of it. And her first mountain to conquer was sitting right next to her and went by the name of Leon Kennedy.

Their lips finally parted, leaving both parties gasping for a well deserved breath. A smile spread on Leon's lips as he leaned his forehead against hers. His hands rubbed the small of Claire's back, sliding underneath her shirt and drawing a gasp from her thin lips.

"I think we should move this into your bedroom." Claire suggested. Her voice was low and seductive as she spoke. There was no need for her to hide the desire she so desperately wanted him to satisfy.

Her words and her tone made his cock twitch. God, he had been waiting to hear those words come from those beautiful pink lips for _so _long. His thumb traced her lip, his narrow eyes stuck on the lips that drove him past his sanity.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Claire?"

She nodded to reassure him. A shudder ran through her body as his fingers trailed from her lips to her long neck, inching over her warm skin. "I've wanted to do this since Raccoon City, Leon. I'm more than sure that I want to."

"But _now_? Aren't you upset about what happened with what's his face?"

He wanted to sleep with her more than anything else in the world right now. But he couldn't do it knowing she would regret it the next day. He was unsure if she was planning on sleeping with him to spite Lloyd one last time or because she genuinely wanted it. No man in his right mind would turn down sex, even if it was to stick it to another man one last time. But Leon was different from most men, and Claire actually meant something to him.

"He doesn't matter to me Leon, and I'm beginning to think that he hasn't for a long time. You do. Right here, and right now. Don't think about the past or the future, think about right now." Her features were strong and determined as she stared deeply into his eyes.

He didn't say anything as his smile widened. He could definitely live with that. He reached his hand forward and brushed loose strands of her fiery red hair away from those beautiful sapphire eyes. He looked into them and lost himself within her. He wanted to find himself lost within her in a whole other way. The bulge in his pants made that abundantly clear to both of them.

Claire leaned in to kiss him again but he pulled back. With wide, confused eyes, she looked up at him and saw the uneasiness on his features. It was a look she was far from used to seeing on him.

"What's wrong?" Did she even want to hear the answer to that?

"Claire, you do realize that I will eventually have to leave to go back to work, right? I will try my best to come back and see you as soon as possible, but I cannot guarantee that I will be able to."

"I know that."

"Will you be okay if we do this and I leave for God knows how long?"

Claire playfully poked his side, a wide grin on her face. "Leon, are you kidding me? Just because we have sex it does not mean that I'm going to be a sick puppy while you're gone, moping around my place while I wait loyally for you to return." She reached forward and ran her fingers through his hair, gazing up into his eyes. "Sex doesn't always have to mean something, Leon. But I've got to be honest with you, you're kind of ruining the 'whole heat of the moment' thing we had going on."

Leon chuckled and reached back, rubbing the back of his neck out of embarrassment. Yeah, he definitely had a way of ruining moments.

Claire smiled reassuringly and took a hold of his hand. Her eyes flashed to the television screen as she stood up and noticed the credits were already rolling. What a shame, now they won't know how the movie ended. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and led Leon towards his bedroom.

The lights in his bedroom were off as they entered. Neither of them bothered to flick any of the lights on as they made their way over to his bed. Claire pushed Leon down to sit on the edge of his bed as she stood over him.

She stood there for a few seconds, her hands resting on his chest as she watched him carefully. The image of sleeping with Leon had been a prominent one she had back in Raccoon City. But once they left, their friendship had become so strong that she never imagined they would sleep together. That kind of thing usually ruins a friendship, especially if it doesn't work out after. But at this point, she didn't care. She needed him and the comfort she knew he could offer her. Just one night in his bed, and if they never laid eyes on each other again, that would be okay.

Leon placed Claire's hand in his and picked it up, bringing it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles gently, his eyes looking up at her as he pulled her into him. Straddling his waist, she leaned down and let his lips take hers once again.

One of his big, strong hands crept up the back of her shirt, supporting her as she leaned into him. His other hand trailed up the front, his fingers gently scraping over her flat stomach. He stopped at her breasts and growled into her mouth when he felt the disappointing barrier of a bra.

Their lips parted as Leon lifted up Claire's t-shirt. He tossed it into the darkness of his bedroom and reached around to unhook her bra. He stared into her eyes as the fabric of her bra fell on the floor. He didn't say anything as Claire stood up, standing half naked before him.

Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness that surrounded him, but if it weren't for the moonlight that crept through his window, he probably wouldn't have been able to see much. The moonlight illustrated her body perfectly, exaggerating every curve Claire's lean body had to offer his hungry eyes.

Claire reached forward and grabbed the bottom of Leon's shirt. She slowly lifted it over his head, her eyes dragging over every muscle he had buried underneath it. She felt desire warm her body as his t-shirt slipped out of her hands and got lost in the darkness.

Leon's eyes followed Claire's hands as they untied her hair, her fiery red strands falling past her shoulders. Running her hands through it, her fingers trailed down her neck, gently caressing her breasts as they slid down her stomach. Reaching for the zipper of her pants, Claire slowly unzipped it. Bending over, Leon groaned at Claire's cleavage as she left her pants in a puddle by her feet.

A smirk grew on Leon's face as he licked his lips at the sight of Claire standing before him with only a tiny, thin piece of fabric covering her. She stepped forward and straddled Leon again, pushing him back against the bed. Her lips found his as he let her take control of the situation at hand. Intertwining his fingers with hers, Claire placed his hands over his head, reveling in the feel of being in control over the government agent.

She nibbled his bottom lip as she leaned back. She looking hungrily into his eyes and laughed, tightening her hold on Leon's fingers. "How does it feel to be overpowered by a girl, Kennedy?"

Leon growled as he flipped their positions almost effortlessly. Claire let out a startled gasp at the sudden movement when she found herself pinned underneath him. He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. How does it feel to know Chris's survival guide failed you in the bed of Leon Kennedy?"

Claire tried to suppress the laughter the bubbled in her throat, but she failed against it. "Nice, Leon. Real nice."

Letting go of the hold he had on Claire, he stood at the foot of his bed and watched her as he unbuckled his belt. Claire leaned up on her elbows as his pants dropped onto the floor. She licked her lips as Leon approached her, the bulge in his deep blue boxers all the more apparent without the restriction of his jeans.

Leon leaned on one elbow as his lips found Claire's again; his hand falling under Claire's to hold her gently. His free hand trailed down her neck, gently rubbed her nipple and trailed down her stomach to reach the thin strap of her underwear. He spread her legs apart with his hand and found the one spot that ached desperately for his touch.

He smiled against her lips when he felt how wet she had become for him. "My, my, someone is awfully excited."

Claire raised an eyebrow and reached out to grab his cock firmly in her hand. "That's funny; I don't think you should be one to talk."

"Touché."

Leon slid Claire's underwear down her smooth legs, letting her kick them off when they were low enough. Pushing himself onto his knees, Leon watched Claire carefully as he pulled his boxers down, tossing them off the edge of the bed.

He got on top of Claire, his hands holding him above her beside her head. He felt her slender, smooth legs brush against his skin as she adjusted and opened herself for him. Her hands gripped his wrists on either side of her head as his cock rubbed against the moisture of her entrance.

She shuddered underneath him, a fire growing in her stomach, anxious to feel him inside of her. She had to feel him inside of her or she felt as though she was going to explode. She didn't know why she wanted to feel him as bad as she did, but while she was enjoying the feeling, she decided not to dwell too much into it.

_You've been with the same guy for how many years? Of course you're going to be all jittery and excited for the first time with someone else._

Claire told herself to listen to the voice inside her head. But she couldn't. That didn't seem like the reason to her feeling this way. But she shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind when she felt Leon slide inside of her.

Her fingers dug into his skin when as a low moan slipped through her lips. He rocked himself back and forth, driving himself as deep into her as she would take him.

The feel of her warmth tightly encircling around him made his body shake. Lord knows he had pictured her lying like this, open for him, in his bed, and he had pictured taking her too many times to count. But he never could have imagined her to feel the way she did.

He gritted his teeth when he felt her hips grind against his. Their breathing quickened as her fingers dug deeper and deeper into his wrists. The feeling of pain only pushed him to go harder and deeper with every additional thrust into Claire.

Leon leaned down and took one of Claire's breasts into his anxious mouth. She mouth loudly, throwing her head back, as she continued to rock her hips against him, burying her fingers in his hair. He let his tongue stroke her hardened nipple between sucks, working harder on her breasts with each thrust that brought him closer to his climax.

Claire felt her control slowly slipped away from her as Leon continued to thrust himself inside of her, his tongue working on her nipple in his mouth. Clutching onto him, Claire wrapped her legs around his waist and brought him deeper into her. Arching her back underneath her, she felt her orgasm take hold of her body in a way so violent she had forgotten the impact it could have on her.

She tightened around Leon, squeezing his cock inside of her as she came on him. He bit his bottom lip and tried to hold on longer, to continue pleasing her after her orgasm. But hearing her panting underneath him, her chest heaving up and down, and her hips still rocking against his, it was a fight he was more than happy to back down from.

He groaned, burying his head in the nape of her neck as he exploded inside of her. He forced himself to continue thrusting himself as he finally felt his body relax.

Claire shivered at the feel of him throbbing inside of her as her fingers trailed down his bare back. He kept his head in the nap of her neck, taking in the wonderful scent that he had grown so familiar with. Funny how he could be away for years at a time and yet he never forgot how she smelled.

"Holy shit." Leon finally said, gasping for air.

Claire swatted away a thin layer of sweat she had on her forehead and smiled, pushing her bangs back away from her eyes. He stayed inside her, unable to move, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. For now, in this moment, all they had to do was savor being in each other's arms. It was a feeling that both of them knew couldn't last forever, but while it presented itself to them, there was nothing else to do but enjoy it.

"So, do you pull out the scary movies to get action from all the girls you bring back here?"

Leon chuckled against Claire's warm skin. "You got me Claire, you got me."


	10. New Born

**This is the final chapter of The Resistance. I apologize for taking so long in posting it, but I just couldn't seem to get the words out. After many failed attempts, I was finally able to. And here it is!**

**I want to thank everyone who took time to read each chapter and review them. I hope everyone enjoyed Claire and Leon's adventures and had as much fun reading them as I had writing them.**

**Don't worry, there's a new Claire/Leon story that should be posted soon. But in the meantime, enjoy the final chapter of The Resistance!**

* * *

Claire gazed around the room that, until she was able to find her own apartment, would serve as her new bedroom. It was a simple room, one that radiated warmth and comfort despite the subtle decorating. _Or lack thereof._

Framed pictures covered the walls and brought a smile to Claire's lips as her blue eyes skimmed over them. Childhood pictures of Chris and Claire surrounded her. She seemed to remember the exact moment in time each one was taken and it brought her back to a time when things were easier.

The first one was the day they brought home the family dog, Malcolm. A young Claire sat on the floor, a wide grin on her face as Malcolm licked her cheek affectionately. Claire's hands were buried in the thick fur of the dog while Chris bent down beside his sister, his hand resting on Malcolm's head as he enjoyed the laughter of little Claire. Their parents were seated behind the children and dog, smiling as they watched their children play with the newest member of the family. Claire remembered that the camera was on a tripod when they took it.

As Claire's eyes trailed along the mirage of pictures, she saw herself at each stage of her life, along with her big brother. Christmas, birthdays, Halloween, Easter egg hunts; you name it there were photographs of it. And then all of a sudden, the pictures were only of Chris and Claire, her parents nowhere to be found.

Heaviness filled Claire's chest as she fought off the tears that stung at her eyes. Even in the wall of pictures, it was easy to see just exactly where Chris and Claire's parents had been torn away from them. Claire reached forward and stroked the last Christmas picture she had taken with her parents. Everyone looked so happy, satisfied with presents and looking forward to the turkey dinner that was roasting away in the oven as the picture was taken. Claire smiled when she remembered just how savory her mother's turkey was and how much she always adored her father's famous stuffing.

"That was a good Christmas." Claire didn't have to turn around to know that Chris was smiling, but she did anyway.

"It was." Stepping away from the wall, she shoved her hands into her jean pockets and turned her body to face her brother. "I had no idea you were so sentimental, Chris."

He shrugged, his eyes tearing away from her to admire the pictures that made him the man he was today. "It's easy to forget all the good times we've had, even before mom and dad died. Sometimes it's harder to remember."

A cool breeze slipped in through the open window, passing by the Redfield siblings as it soon disappeared. Claire nodded, understanding exactly what her brother meant.

"Thank you for letting me stay here with you. I know it's a big inconvenience and all."

Chris scoffed. "If you weren't an inconvenience you wouldn't be my little sister." A grin spread across Chris's lips when Claire rolled her eyes at him. "I was thinking of ordering pizza, do you want in?"

"Of course I do." Claire turned her back on Chris and unzipped her suitcase, reaching in and unloading her clothes from it.

"Okay, I'm going to order some pizza then. I'll come get you when its here. Pepperoni still okay?"

"Yeah. Just make sure you get a garlic dipping sauce for me."

A quick comment from Chris about how gross the dipping sauce was and Claire found herself alone in the spare bedroom of Chris's apartment.

So, this was what her life had turned out to be. _Not permanently. _Was that supposed to make her feel better? Because if so, it definitely wasn't doing a good job of that.

A few days ago she had a house with her fiancé, a great job that she loved, and friends and a brother she could count on through anything. Granted, she still had everything, minus the fiancé and house. Now she was left wondering where her night with Leon put them and all the while doing it while living in the extra bedroom in her older brother's apartment.

It wasn't as bad as she seemed to think it was, she knew that. And yet she couldn't bring herself to fully realize that. She felt guilty for leaving Lloyd the way she had, for turning her back on everything they had built together. Was giving up everything they had for the last several years of her life worth one night with Leon? Because essentially that's all it was. A trade for all of it with one night with Leon.

_Your relationship with Lloyd wouldn't have worked out regardless. _She reminded herself.

Leon had made it perfectly clear that he wouldn't be able to have a relationship with her, though he wished he could. Not that Claire minded. She wasn't the type of girl who ever had a one night stand, and until the other night, the thought of having one had never crossed her mind. But with Leon, all her morals seemed to go right out the window.

A smile spread over Claire's lips as she remembered the night she spent in the arms of Leon Kennedy. It was amazing, simply amazing. She had never had a man do things to her body like Leon had. She forgot the feelings her body could revel in at the touch of another person. And she loved every minute of it. A night of love making had never gone as fast as their night together seemed to. Go figure. When you're having fun, time flies.

And now that it was all over, it left Claire's mind flooded with worry. When he left again, would it hurt her worse than it ever had? She had a problem with it all these years as his friend. Would it be even worse for her now that they had taken the next step in their relationship?

"Of course it would." Claire muttered, shoving her clothes into the empty dresser at the foot of the bed. She would be sad about his departure, but she would get over it. _Eventually._

Claire closed the dresser and moved to her suitcase that was sitting at the foot of her bed. Closing it, she slid it between the wall and the wooden stand of her bed before sitting on the edge of the soft mattress.

Claire let out a small sigh, her gaze falling to the open window across the room.

She had gotten all of her belongings from the house she shared with Lloyd. She was surprised to see that he hadn't thrown it all out, or burned it. But he wasn't a spiteful person, and for that she was thankful. So Claire decided that she was going to start her life again and whether Leon was going to be in it or not was no longer her concern.

When he came back on vacation, if he wanted to see her, he could. But she sure as hell wasn't going to sit around and wait for him to return. She still had her job, a job that she was great at, a job that she was made for. And Chris and Jill would still be around, making Claire's life a living hell. A fun and interesting living hell, Claire reminded herself. Life with Chris and Jill was _always_ interesting.

Claire glanced at the scrubs she laid out for herself and let out a heavy breath. Her thoughts were so consumed with her ex-fiancé and her night with Leon that she almost forgot she had to work the night shift tonight. Running her hands through her hair, she looked towards her door when it opened just a crack.

"Claire?"

"Yeah." Claire watched as Chris slowly poked his head in.

"The pizza's here."

Claire got off the bed and walked towards the door. "Great. I'm starving. You haven't had any yet, have you?" Claire pulled the door open and saw a half eaten slice already in Chris's hands. He smiled at her as he chewed it, swallowing whatever he had in his mouth as she rolled her eyes. "Jesus, Chris, save some for me sometime, will you?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Claire looked at her reflection in the locker room mirror as she scooped up her straight, red hair in her hands. Her bangs fell over her forehead as she tied the elastic band around her hair, setting the ponytail high on her head. The tips of her hair brushed against the back of her neck, sending a quick shiver down her spine as she gave her reflection a quick once over before starting work.

Claire turned her back to the mirror and jumped when another nurse stood suddenly behind her. Claire rested her hand over her heart and smiled at the older woman.

"Lisa, you really should stop sneaking up on me like that. I swear, we have to get you in some high heels or something like that. It's the only way I'll ever hear you coming or going."

Lisa laughed as she walked past Claire and turned on the faucet. Pushing her blonde hair away from her face, Lisa splashed water in her face before looking at Claire in the mirror.

Lisa picked up paper towels and patted her face dry, turning to face Claire. "There are some people here to see you, Claire."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Claire frowned. "Chris and Jill?" _Maybe Leon coming to say goodbye?_

Lisa shook her head and tossed the damp paper towels into the garbage. "No, I've never seen these people before. They're in the waiting room, they said it's urgent and they need to see you right away."

"Thanks, Lisa." Claire turned and pulled the door open, her mind racing with thoughts of who it could be when Lisa spoke again, stopping Claire in her tracks for only a short moment.

"Be careful, Claire. They don't look very friendly. Security is crawling all over this place, just give a shout and someone will come."

_Jesus, what did I do? _Claire settled her nerves, drying her clammy palms on her scrubs as she made her way to the waiting room. It was very rare for anyone other than Chris and Jill to come to the hospital looking for her, especially someone who, in Lisa's words, didn't look too friendly.

_Maybe Lloyd is spiteful after all. _Spiteful enough to send people to Claire's work to try and scare her? Maybe, but highly unlikely.

Claire turned the corner to the waiting room and felt her heart pound faster in her chest. She remained calm and flashed the two men a smile as she walked over to them. Dressed in black suits with white shirts underneath, each man wore black sunglasses that reminded her all too much of Albert Wesker.

"Hi there. I'm Claire Redfield; I heard you were looking for me." Claire held out her hand to greet the men and was surprised when they got to their feet. They smiled back as they shook her hand before taking their seats again.

"Please, Ms. Redfield, have a seat." The blonde haired man sat, motioning for her to sit across from him.

Claire did as she was told and forced herself to keep her smile on her face. _Don't show any fear. Even if they make you want to scream like a scared little girl and run. _"What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"It is our understanding that you were one of the few survivors of Raccoon City." The blonde haired man spoke, catching Claire's attention.

Her eyes darted back and forth between the two men as she nodded, folding her hands in her lap. "Yes, I was. What exactly is this about?"

"Ms. Redfield, we're from Terra Save, an organization formed by the United States government shortly after the incident known as the Raccoon City outbreak. Our goal is one that we've been fighting ever since, and is one we are unfortunately seemingly far from achieving."

"And what exactly is your goal?" _And why the hell are you here?_

"To end bio-terrorism."

"I'm not sure I fully understand what you're doing here." Claire raised her hands and glanced down at her scrubs. "I'm a nurse. And when I escaped Raccoon City I was a nineteen year old college student. My escape was by a mere fluke, I can assure you, and I have nothing of use to you at this point."

"I'm afraid that's where you're wrong, Ms. Redfield. You do have something that is very useful to us."

"And what's that?"

"You."

Claire was rendered speechless. Were these men serious? More importantly, what the hell did they mean? She felt herself begin to panic and fear what these men were capable of.

"Don't be scared, Ms. Redfield. We're not here to hurt you or harm you in anyway." The blonde man reassured her with a gentle voice. His softness surprised her almost as much as what she had just heard. "We came to find out if there was anyway to have you join the organization."

The black haired man who sat beside the other finally spoke. "We know that you lost a lot in Raccoon City, we know that you witnessed a lot of pain and heartache. We also know that you managed to survive something that a lot of other people didn't."

"I can assure you, as I said earlier, it was by fluke. Sometimes I don't know how I survived that myself."

"Your experience, your drive and determination, and your background in biology and chemistry make you the perfect candidate for us. You can use your nursing skills to help people who need you, ones who aren't lucky enough to have the option of a hospital."

The blonde man leaned back in his chair, scratching the stubble that was growing on his chin. "A new threat has risen, as I'm sure you've already had some victims of it in your hospital."

"H1N1." Claire muttered.

"We would need you to start immediately, and it would require you to leave behind everyone and everything you love." Claire watched the blonde man as he spoke.

"Will you join us in our fight, Claire Redfield?" Her eyes turned to the man with dark hair as his words circled in her mind.

Raccoon City took the innocence that had once been in her life. It was ripped out of her hands and was something she would never get back. Same as the people who lived in Raccoon City would never get their lives back.

She lost a lot since then. Chris had never been the same since he discovered his Captain was not the man he said he was. With each infected teammate Chris passed, Claire knew a part of her older brother died with them. Jill was never the same after her experiences either. She tried to act as though nothing had changed, but the heartache and sorrow never disappeared in her clear eyes.

And Steve, the one she lost along the way. The one who slipped through her fingers when she knew it should have been her to fall instead of him.

She had to do it, for them. Someone had to stand up for those who had fallen along the way. Someone had to stand their ground. "I will."


End file.
